


Surprise

by HyperchaoticStarlight (MVPYurio)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: ((THERE WE GO THAT IS A SHIP NAME)), ((THOSE ARE BOTH TERRIBLE FUCKING SHIP NAMES)), Birthday Party, M/M, Natasha and Wanda know what's up, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, Scienceshipping, Surprise Party, everyone else is clueless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 21:49:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14798589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MVPYurio/pseuds/HyperchaoticStarlight
Summary: Tony was determined—he wasnotgoing to celebrate his birthday this year.





	Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> *Matt Smith voice* I write Marvel now. Marvel is cool. (Ok, I've been writing Marvel for awhile now, but this is the first thing I've posted.)
> 
> Inspired (roughly) by [this awesome exchange](https://marvel-at-these-gays.tumblr.com/post/174372969211/tonystark-is-my-hero-marvel-at-these-gays) I had on tumblr with tonystark-is-my-hero! I said I would only write them a Tony birthday fic if they let me make it scienceshipping.
> 
> Oh, also, this takes place after Ragnarok, except I haven't seen Infinity Wars and I wish I hadn't seen Civil War, so neither of those things happen, and the team goes back to the Tower after Age of Ultron. Marvel canon can suck a towel, basically.
> 
> Enjoy!! (And Hap 48 Borth to my favorite Marvel motherfucker!)

Tony was determined—he was _not_ going to celebrate his birthday this year.

Ever since becoming Iron Man, it had all but become a running joke—a dark, grim running joke, but a running joke—that he couldn’t host a party or celebration, really any type of public event, without it becoming a complete disaster.

At least, that was the excuse he gave.

His 45th birthday had fallen just after Sokovia. Wanting to stay out of the public eye after _that_ whole ordeal, he decided to keep it low-key, inviting his teammates and a select few others to the Tower to celebrate. The get-together went well—to be perfectly honest, Tony had never had so much fun in his life—and then, three days later, _everything_ turned upside down.

After that, Tony barely wanted to look at any of his teammates. Seeing them just reminded him of the two voids left behind by—anyway.

For birthdays number forty-six and forty-seven, he tried to go back to the old way, throwing a massive party and getting knockout drunk. On both occasions, he had needed to be dragged out of the room, and, worse still, had to listen to Pepper and Nat tell him off as they nursed his hangovers.

Admittedly, he deserved that.

Therefore, when mid-April rolled around and a few individuals began asking if Tony had any birthday plans, they all received the same firm “no.”

Too disastrous. Too dangerous. Too lonely.

Part of him wanted to be argued with, wanted Steve to make some inane comment about friendship, wanted Pepper to say something annoying about how it would good for the business or for the Avengers, wanted Wanda to laugh at him and call his bullshit because of course he wanted a birthday, wanted Nat to tell him that it wasn’t his fault that Bruce and Thor had been missing for over two years and that he deserved to be happy…

Okay, so he _really_ wanted that last one.

~~~~

“Okay, we’re not _really_ going to listen to him, are we?”

Natasha looked over towards Peter, who was spinning aimlessly in a swivel chair.

“What d’you mean?” she asked.

“Mr—Tony, I mean. We’re not really going to do squat for his birthday, are we?”

“I mean, he had a point when he told us why,” said Steve. “Every time he has a birthday party, it turns into a disaster.”

“And he’s not wrong,” Rhodey added. “Tony’s a disaster magnet. Everyone knows that.”

“I guess,” said Peter.

Clint jumped down from the counter he’d been sitting on. “Heh. Maybe we should take it as a favor, that he _doesn’t_ want to have one.” Without looking, he reached across a side table to fist-bump Sam.

“That’s not fair,” Peter protested. “People should get to have birthday parties if they want them.”

“Listen, kid,” said Rhodey. “It’s sweet that you’re trying to look after Tony. Truly, it is. But we’ve all been friends with him for a damn long time—oh, for Christ’s sake, Steve, take your hands off his ears. Anyway, I’ve been friends with Tony since before you were born, and honestly, if Tony says he doesn’t want a party because it’s too dangerous, we should just go with it.”

Peter looked around the room, as if searching for someone to back him up, but the closest thing he got was a shrug from Wanda. “I guess,” he finally said. “Well, I should get going now. Thanks for letting me come over today.”

“Need a ride home?” Steve asked.

“Nah, I got it. Thanks, though.”

“Hey,” said Clint. “Who’s up to get their ass kicked in Mario Kart?”

Rhodey, Sam, and Steve immediately jumped out of their seats. “Last one down’s a rotten egg!” Steve shouted. With that, he took off, ignoring the various shouts of “not fair” from the others.

“Man-children,” Natasha muttered once the boys were out of sight. She turned to Wanda, who still hadn’t said anything. “Pardon me if this is a little too on the nose, but are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“We are working with twigs,” Wanda replied.

“Twigs?”

“Yes. Twigs. Those four—” she gestured in the direction that Clint and the others had run off in “—their brains are made out of twigs. Tiny. Useless. Pathetic.”

Natasha laughed. “Couldn’t have put it better myself.”

“And, like twigs, they will not bend,” Wanda continued. “Not unless they are told truth.”

“What, about why Tony really doesn’t want a party? You really think he doesn’t?”

Wanda sighed. “Tony… is complicated. He does, but also does not. Really, what he wants is his friend.”

“And here we are, the only two people who see that,” said Natasha. “I never thought I’d feel bad for Tony Stark, but here I am.” She sat down in a swivel chair and began spinning herself around. “What are we going to do?”

“Answer your phone, first,” said Wanda. “I’ll go get it.”

She walked over to Natasha’s phone and began bringing it over. “Natasha?”

“Yeah?”

Wanda held up the phone. “Is this appropriate time to use that dumb phrase ‘speak of devil’ you keep talking about?”

~~~~

_May 29th, 4:30 PM_

Tony had never felt so regretful in his entire life.

Okay, that was pushing it, but still. God, he wished he hadn’t told the others he didn’t want any acknowledgement of his birthday. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun he could have been having, with his teammates—with his _friends._

And now, nobody even seemed to be talking to him—it was almost like they were _avoiding_ him. He had gone downstairs a few times, and nobody was there. In the however many years he’d spent living in the Tower with the Avengers based downstairs, this was the first time he’d ever gone downstairs to see _nobody._

As loath as he was to admit it, Tony Stark wanted his friends.

“Sir, Ms. Potts is calling.”

“Alright, answer it.”

Pepper’s face popped up in the middle of the room. “Hey, Tony, there’s some stuff I need you to look over this evening. Company stuff. Very boring. Is that alright?”

“Oh—yeah, yeah, that’s all fine.” _Seriously, Pep? There’s no way you don’t remember that it’s my birthday._ “Where and when?”

“Well, I may or may not be…”

“Oh my God, you’re downstairs, about to make out with Natasha, aren’t you.” Tony pretended to gag. “Alright, alright, I’ll meet you downstairs, but _not_ in her room. Briefing room. Or in your office. Somewhere.”

“Actually, the briefing room is perfect,” said Pepper. “Say, in like an hour?”

“Fine by me,” said Tony. “Dear God, please have clothes on.”

“Will do.”

Her face disappeared.

“She didn’t even say happy birthday to me,” Tony said quietly. “D’you think she forgot, Jarv?”

“I have no idea, sir,” said JARVIS.

“God, even you’re not helpful.” Tony flopped down on the couch. “I feel like such an idiot. I should have just… I don’t even know what I should have done. Whatever. I’ll see Pepper in an hour, and then I’ll skulk in my room and… who knows.”

~~~~

_One hour later…_

“Sir, you have to go downstairs now and see Ms. Potts.”

Tony got up from the couch for the first time since flopping down there earlier. “Right. Okay. Alright then. Just gotta go downstairs, look at whatever stupid crap Pepper has, and then come upstairs. That’s it. JARVIS, elevator.”

As the elevator made its way downstairs, Tony couldn’t help but… well, freak out a little. What if the others were there? What would they say? Would they even acknowledge—

The doors slid open to reveal complete darkness.

“JARVIS, the lights?” Tony asked, slightly exasperatedly.

“If you insist, sir,” said JARVIS. “But first—”

“SURPRISE!”

The lights came on to reveal the entire team, wearing party hats and throwing confetti.

Tony blinked. “I said—”

“Oh, shut up,” said Natasha. “We all know you wanted a party.”

_I didn’t, though. Or did I. I don’t know._

“Come on in,” said Natasha. “I promise, you’ll like it.”

“Fine, but if I don’t—aaand you’re dragging me inside. Jesus, your grip is strong.”

“Listen, I’m gonna cut to the chase,” said Natasha. “Steve’s gonna kill me; he wanted the best surprise to come a little later, but I want you to stay and enjoy your party so we’re doing this now.”

“Nat!” Steve called as she led Tony past him. “I thought we agreed—”

“Put a sock in it, twig!” Natasha shouted. “It’s this or Tony walks!”

“I’ll kick your ass for that, Romanov! Nobody’s called me a twig since the 1940s!”

“Twig,” Natasha said again, more firmly this time.

“Nat, seriously, what is—!” Tony yelped as Natasha shoved him onto the balcony.

“Is the yelling part over?”

Tony looked around to see that there was someone leaning over the railing, looking down on the city.

“Nat said something about it being better if I skipped the yelling.”

Tony blinked a few times. He knew that voice, or else he thought he did, but there was no way—

The figure stepped away from the railing and turned around to face Tony.

“Happy birthday, by the way.”

Tony didn’t even think. He just ran.

 _“You’re the first person who’s said that to me all day,”_ he whispered—why was he whispering?—as he hugged _Bruce fucking Banner_ close to him.

Bruce froze for a second, and then hugged back. “Jesus. Nat said that they were going to surprise you, but that’s harsh.”

Tony pulled away, grinning. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t have it any other way. God, I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” said Bruce. “So. Party time?”

“Yeah. Party time.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked that, leave a comment, so I know to post more! As usual you should follow me on Tumblr @sing-a-rebel-song, AND my new Marvel blog, @marvel-at-these-gays!


End file.
